Beer Battered "Fish" Tacos

Name: Beer Battered "Fish" Tacos
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 block firm tofu; 4 cups miso broth; 2 tsp nori sheet, crushed (1 tsp for the marinade, 1 tsp for the spice blend); 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning; 2 lemons; 1 1/2 cups flour; 1/2 cup cornstarch; 1 can of your favorite beer; 3 nori sheets, cut into pieces; 1 tsp sea salt; 8 small tortillas or taco shells, warmed; 2 cups avocado oil, for frying; 1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp nori sheet, crushed; 1/2 cup cashews (previously soaked or boiled); 3 garlic cloves; 1/4 cup vegan mayo; 1/2 cup plant-based milk; 2 Tbsp vegan sriracha; 2 Tbsp lemon juice; Pinch of salt

January 11, 2019MainsBy Carlos + Dominique

Serves 4Prep 25 minCook 15 minTotal 40 min

Prep and cook times are estimates — every kitchen moves at its own pace. Plus 1 hr tofu press and 1-24 hr marinade.

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Crackling beer-battered crust, flaky marinated tofu "fish" with real ocean flavor from nori and miso, and a garlicky sriracha cream drizzled over the top — these vegan beer-battered fish tacos are a whole beach day in a tortilla.

We marinated, battered, and taste-tested our way here after one too many store-bought fishless fillets. These are more fun to make and dangerously easy to eat.

Watch it made

Directions

Press the tofu: wrap the block in a lot of paper towels, place something heavy and level on top (we used a cast iron skillet), and leave for 1 hour to draw out the liquid. Slice into 4 thin slices, then cut into 'fillet' shapes — you should get about 8 fillets. (Save the excess tofu for future recipes, like stews.) Optional: for a meatier, chewier texture, freeze and thaw the tofu twice before pressing. Optional: for a soy-free version, swap the tofu for chickpea tofu, hearts of palm, or battered cauliflower.
Make the marinade: in a large pan, combine the miso broth, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp crushed nori sheet plus the 3 cut nori sheets, and 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning. (A squeeze of lemon is optional.) Add the tofu fillets and marinate for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 24 hours — the longer, the better.
While the tofu marinates, make the garlic sriracha sauce: blend all the sauce ingredients until completely smooth with no lumps. Set aside.
Pat the marinated tofu dry on clean paper towels. Cut nori sheets to the shape of each fillet, lay one over each fillet, and squeeze lemon juice over it to seal it in place. Finish with a pinch of sea salt. Optional: nori sheets are in the Asian/international aisle of most grocery stores, or on Amazon.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup cornstarch, and the spice blend. Mix well, then add the beer a little at a time, starting with about 1 cup, until the batter reaches a pancake-batter consistency. Optional: keep everything cold — cold beer, cold batter, even rest the mixing bowl over ice; cold batter hitting hot oil gives maximum crisp. Optional: don’t overmix — lumps are fine; overworking develops gluten and makes the coating heavy instead of lacy. Optional: no beer? Seltzer water works great in the batter.
Fully coat each fillet in batter, then fry until golden brown on each side. Serve in taco shells with your favorite toppings and a generous drizzle of garlic sriracha sauce. Optional: fry at 350–375°F (use a thermometer) — too cool and the batter absorbs oil and goes greasy; too hot and it browns before crisping. Optional: air-fryer workaround — batter the fillets, freeze them on wax paper until set, then air fry (wet batter alone won't hold in an air fryer).